Toph (TOKO)
by 7JAM
Summary: Story of a blind earth bender girl named Toph. She sets out tired of being portrayed weak and defenseless. She meets a mysterious boy named Zuko and his Uncle who are also on an adventure of their own. Zuko and Toph make an odd couple but it somehow works. ENJOY (Updating Feb/18)
1. Runaway Toph

"Leave it mom, I can handle it." Toph pushed her mother's hand away. She continued to feel the needle in her hand as she pulled it gently through the quilt.

Toph faced towards the quilt weaving gently till the thread was too short. Her mother snipped off the lose thread. "How did I do?" Toph faced her mother.

She looked down at the crookedly sewn quilt. "Very well, Toph." She smiled. Toph couldn't see but she knew she was lying. "Thanks, I guess." Toph held the quilt in her hand and sighed. Her mother frowned.

Toph walked outside and the wind blew gently around her. She knelt down and felt the grass. "I'm alone today," she said to herself.

She could feel every little critter roaming around her from small ants climbing trees to the big birds nesting happily in the trees.

Toph knew it was the perfect time to leave. She felt the ground around her once more to make sure no one was watching. Just like that, she sent all the energy to her feet and opened the ground below her.

She jumped down quickly and began her journey.

The tunnel that surrounded her small figure was cool and dark. She walked calmly not knowing where she would end up. _They don't understand me, _she thought.

She continued walked for hours and carried but a small bag with her. She placed her hand against the right wall and closed her eyelids. _I'm getting close. _

At last she arrived. Toph took a deep breath and opened the gates of rocks in front of her. The big city.

She felt mass load of vibrations coming from all directions. The scent of cooked crawfish and seafood meat tingled her every sense. She began to walk not knowing where to go first. Noises filled up the marketplace like air.

She felt the road get softer underneath her, almost like sand. She listened to the voices of people. She felt them staring at her.

"Is she blind?" A voice commented. "What is she doing here all by herself?" "Someone find her mother."

She overlooked the voices and continued walking with her head down. She dodged every person she passed making sure to make no contact.

"Uncle, we're not here to buy tea." A boys voice struck out to her as she walked passed it. She felt the presence of an old man standing next to him, one a little on the heavier side. "One can never have too much tea, Zuko; unless it's poisonous."

She sat behind a barrel of apples and listened to the boy speak. Something about him struck out to her. "I'll never understand old people," he walked passed her in anger, whispering to himself.

She felt his steps thump on the ground as he walked. She continued to _eye _Uncle. _They must be here together; I must keep an eye on them. Something is not right._

The Uncle passed by Toph glancing at her tiny body sitting there motionless. She started walking in their path hoping to figure out a clue to why they seemed different.

A man bumped into Toph as she walked. "Watch where you're going kid," Toph paid no attention and continued walking. She began to hear whispers from the two she followed.

"Is she following us?" Right when she felt Zuko turn to look at her, she hid underground. _I'll follow them from here, _she thought.

She heard the conversations of the old man speaking to the young boy above her. _He's been around the world. _She listened to his stories in awe, hoping maybe one day that will be her life.

The boy seemed to pay no attention, but she took every word to heart, "Fine warriors they were, in the water tribe. I visited an old friend once. He lived in the Southern tribe, one of the small islands I might add. You would think that they just roll around in snow all day, but they are probably better hunters than us."

"But that's back in the days, when this war didn't set us apart. They wouldn't welcome us like they used to." The old man sighed. The boy stayed quiet.

Toph felt the ground. _We're entering a forest. _Toph had never been to a forest before. She stood for a moment deciding whether or not to enter.

_This is the only chance I'll get to start my life. I'm sorry mother. I'm sorry father. It's time to move on. I'm not the weak blind girl you think I am. _

Toph looked up and resurfaced near the ones she followed. I'll be alright, she thought. The musky warm wind blew around her dark thin hair. She stood beside a tree wondering where her life would take her.


	2. The Night

Toph walked along a row of trees that curtained her from the two. She heard them converse quietly among themselves as if they knew.

"Tea time!" The old man called out. "When is it not," Zuko muttered. Uncle placed firewood in a pile on the ground encircled with round white stones. Toph felt carefully as to what they were doing.

He placed the pot above the wood and in a quick moment fire split out from the woodpile like magic. Confused Toph continued to watch in amazement.

The old man pulled out a dead crawfish from his bag. "I picked out the meatiest." He smiled at Zuko in glee. Zuko sat on a log drawing in the dirt with a thin branch.

Toph recognized the symbol. "Fire nation," her eyes lit up as she whispered. She had never seen real fire benders before.

Zuko was quick to step over the symbol erasing it for all its worth. He went over to the fire and looked into it. "It's a cold night." Uncle nodded.

He pulled out his satchel, "I was given this by a great man in the Earth Kingdom." He took out a small round stone-like bottle that shimmered red in the light of fire.

"What is it?" Zuko stared hard at the bottle. "Seasoning!" Uncle smiled ear to ear. "What is food without flavor?" Zuko gave him a faint grin; Uncle cherished it.

Toph curled up. Cold chills embraced her. She gripped her body tight with her hands around her knees and hid her head.

The smell of seasoned crawfish roamed the air. Her tummy began to grumble in a large roar.

"What was that," Zuko shot up with his right hand on his sword. "Sounded like a bearwolf cry, those are common here," Uncle continued to bite into the succulent meat not paying any attention.

Zuko stared into the dark beyond looking to attack anything that would move. He narrowed his eyes gripping his blade tightly in his hand.

Zuko felt his face turn red. The anger had finally taken its toll; it no longer wanted to be bottled up. He screamed into the abyss, "Why doesn't anything ever go right for us?"

Toph cold and frustrated yelled back with, "Maybe if you weren't so sour!" She immediately held her mouth in regret.

She quickly got up and bolted with the slightest sound of Zuko following. Zuko ran towards the trees and saw her shadow move quickly.

"Zuko," his Uncle called out. He nodded no. Zuko stood in confusion staring into the night. "Who was she?"

Despite his frustrations, he let her go…this time.

"She followed us all the way here. She seems harmless." Zuko sat down beside Uncle in a thump. Uncle gestured crawfish towards Zuko, "Eat it; it will make you less cranky."

Zuko took one hateful bite and looked up at the cloudy atmosphere thinking of what just happened.

Somewhere not too far Toph sat cozily in a Bearwolf's nest. She looked up at the skies. _I won't give up on you._ Her words lingered as she slowly curled up in a ball and fell asleep.


	3. Eyes

**Author's Note: Thanks again for reading! I had trouble with uploading this. Let me know how you think the story is going. TOKO3 :D ^_^**

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Toph woke up early; the sun had yet to rise. She sat alone in the cave wondering if what she had done was wrong. Toph cleaned the bottom of her feet. She felt the ground around her for her bag and was on her way.

The smell of ashes filled the cool crisp air. It seemed that life around her had begun to wake up. The leaves on trees had opened up slowly to the slightest sunlight. Bugs had begun their journey for food, crawling out of little holes under trees.

She smiled to the sound of butterflies flapping their wings around her. Birds sang softy in the background and all doubts she had were fading away.

Her stomach began to grumble. She stood for a moment to smell the aroma of cooked food. She walked towards the direction hoping to relieve her hunger. It had been two days.

-Toph-

Somewhere nearby, Zuko laid restless on his back. He stared into the fading stars and the clouds that began to float over him. The sun was yet to rise.

"Uncle?" He continued to stare at the sky. The old man slept close by and snored resting like an infant. Zuko looked over at his grey hair falling over his face.

He got up at the first sound of a bird chirp. _Its morning and we need to move on, _he thought to himself. It was not long before he dressed in his usual dark clothes. He pulled himself up with his sword pushing against the ground and began to walk into the woods.

He looked around for any clues of the _innocent _girl he spotted the night before. He began walking along a rigid path, moving all the little branches that came in his face with his little knife. His focus was on the path ahead.

It wasn't long before he spotted little footsteps that belonged to a young girl. He knelt down beside the steps and carried on walking forward.

Uncle caught a glimpse of him walking into the woods. "Be careful, Zuko."

-Toph-

Toph felt the presence of a small village. There was chatter up ahead and she knew she was hidden by the trees. She stood still against the tree smelling the aroma of cooking meat. Living in royalty all her life she wasn't used to being hungry. She thought back to when she was pampered; she lost herself in thoughts.

"Are you lost?" A little voice came from the other side of the tree. Toph stood still wondering if the voice called out to her. Her stomach grumbled once more and Toph leaned tightly against the tree hoping not to be spotted.

A little girl poked her head from behind the tree. "My mother says I shouldn't talk to strangers but you look like a nice person. Are you hungry? My tribe is just about to eat. Join us." The little girl held onto Toph's hand and gave her a big chunk of meat.

Toph did not speak but accepted the meat due to hunger. The girl pulled her towards a crowd. "Mother, I brought a friend." Toph smiled politely not knowing what to expect.

A women figure came forward and took the little girl by the arm and pulled her away from Toph. Toph spoke up in defence. "I don't mean any harm. She brought me here. I didn't mean…" She felt someone far behind her. The mother and girl took steps back leaving Toph.

She recognized the way his feet stepped with anger almost piercing the ground below him. _The fire bender, _her eyes widened as she continued to stand with her back facing him.

"I heard you last night. I could recognize that voice from anywhere." He was angry and Toph knew. She could feel the circulation of his blood speed up at the encounter.

He began to walk closer. She stood not knowing what to do. The women took the little girl back to the village. They were alone.

"Why are you following us?" He demanded answers but she had none to give him. He looked at the back of her small figure. Her thin black hair gently flowed with the wind. "You spoke before, now tell me."

He began to lose patience. Toph was not used to being talked to in an upper tone. "Listen you fire-weasel, I wasn't following you…" She stiffened to the slightest thought of regret. She was alone in the forest; knew not a soul.

He walked close with his hand on his sword. He was a couple inches away from her back. She faced down with eyes shielded by thin black hair.

She shot her head up. "We're being ambushed." She knelt down and felt the ground. A sudden panic took her; she was not used to this. She faced awaiting the arrival of men on armoured Rhino-Beasts.

A frown overtook Zuko's face. He pulled out his sword standing back to back with Toph. They got into stance, they were ready.

The earth began to rumble. Toph held her body up in position waiting for them to come near. Zuko faced the forest with distress. He saw dirt fly around in frenzy; trees far ahead began to fall in big thumps.

"How did you know," he knew there was limited time to think about _how, _it was more about _what_ they were up against that mattered most. Toph resisted answering but did anyways, "I felt them coming near."

He shot her a glance. He had yet to see her face.

The first beast had bolted through twin trees. The fire bender shot a few fire balls towards Zuko. He was quick to send them away towards the forest with his twin blades. He fought the bender with his sword throwing his scrawny body flying back hitting a tree.

Toph lifted the ground below her sending a couple rhino-beasts on their back. The benders stood facing the young girl in awe. Were they really going to attack a young girl? They shot a few fireballs from different directions; the answer was yes.

Toph dodged each one and threw boulders at the fire benders. The armour they had on slowed them from running. Both benders got caught under rocks. She cracked a smile; this was way too easy for her.

One fire bender was left. The rhino-beast was bigger than most they had ever encountered. They stood side-by-side. It was Zuko's chance to catch a glimpse of her face but he resisted; there was work to be done.

The fire bender brought out a metal whip and lit it on fire. The rhino-beast had got on its hind legs towering the two with great heights. They were amazed at how the bender stood on the beast's head without any complications of falling.

He struck the fire whip quickly below him right towards Toph. It came down like a phoenix. Toph hadn't seen it coming; Zuko threw his body and saved her from the fire-whip.

He lay shielding her little body under him. He looked down at her. Her hair covered her eyes but she was quick to throw him off with anger. She stood her ground.

"I've had enough of you!" Her bottled up frustrations and hunger had got the best of her. She buried her feet underground holding her body in a strong stance. She sent all the energy she had into her arms and began to pick up the ground below the rhino-beast and his master.

Zuko looked at her amazed. She got them a few feet off the ground. The bender was quick to notice and sent a few fire balls her way. Zuko stood in front of her and guided all fire out of Toph's way. He threw his sword piercing the man on the rhino-beast against a tree.

Toph threw the beast across the forest. The sound of birds and little critters shrieking had ended this fight. The fire-bender freed his body from the tree and crawled into the forest watching Zuko walk up to him. Zuko took back his sword and placed it back in its rightful dragon carved cover.

Toph picked up her bag; throwing the piece of meat in it. She threw it over her shoulder. Zuko watched her from behind. He walked up to her.

"Where did you learn to fight like that—"I didn't need protection," Toph cut him off with an angry tone. Zuko frowned. "Then why were you following us."

She turned towards him and stuck out her tongue. "Fire-weasel! I've heard about your kind."

He looked at her slightly amused. "We're not all like that. The fire-nation is in my past." He looked towards the ground and sighed.

She stood quietly, confused. She faced up and Zuko tried hard to look into her eyes but her hair stood in the way. "Then who are you," she lost all anger and spoke softly.

"Zuko!" Zuko turned around facing Uncle. "Where did you go, I made tea!" The old man was full of glee. He looked at Zuko's straight face.

He turned around expecting to introduce Uncle to Toph, but she disappeared. He stood looking around. Uncle walked up to Zuko patting him on the shoulders.

"Let her go, Zuko. That was a great fight you two put up but some of us are free spirits. I think it's time you followed your own destiny and let her follow hers."

Zuko looked at Uncle and nodded. They began walking back to their camp. Zuko turned once more to see if she had come back somehow. There was no sign of her. The little girl bandit was gone once more.

_I guess I'll never look into her eyes. _


End file.
